Armchair with seatlift

ABSTRACT

An improvement in an ARMCHAIR WITH SEATLIFT, as patented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655 designed for a disabled person, or a person with weak legs, the armchair having a seat able to move vertically up and down in the frame of the armchair from a normal seating position to a position flat on the ground, the improvement being: making the armchair automatically mobile and automatically immobile when desired, by attaching wheels to the armchair in such a manner that the armchair automatically becomes mobile by making the wheels automatically become in contact with the ground when the seat moves to it&#39;s upper position, and automatically making the seat become in full frictional contact with the ground when the seat is in it&#39;s lower position, thereby facillitating the transfer of a person, fallen on the ground, safely onto the seat, without the seat tending to move away from the person during the transfer.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to aids for persons who fall on thefloor and are too weak to get up again on their own.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The background is applicants U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655 on ARMCHAIRWITH SEATLIFT issued Oct. 6, 1998, in the following called a Liftchair,which has a seat that can move substantially vertically up and down in aframe. The current invention describes and relates to an improvement onthis prior invention and more particularly refers to a method ofproviding wheels to the liftchair in such a manner, that the liftchairautomatically becomes mobile upon the seat being moved upward, such as,for instance, when it is desired to move the liftchair from one place toanother, yet provides that the liftchair automatically becomes solidlystationary on the ground just prior to the lifting operation, during thetime a person may be transferring from the ground onto the seat anduntil the person is firmly located on the seat, ready to be lifted up toa normal seated position in the liftchair. Upon the seat thereafterbeing activated to move upwards, the liftchair is automatically renderedmobile again, by contact between the seat and the ground beingautomatically eliminated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of this invention to provide a liftchair, asabove, with a mechanism that automatically allows the liftchair tobecome immobile while a person transfers onto the seat, yetautomatically allows the liftchair to become mobile as the seat moves upto it's upper sitting position.

[0004] The liftchair is supplied with wheels, that may be small wheelslocated, for instance, one wheel in each lower corner of the liftchairframe. Some of the wheels may be swivel wheels, located in such a mannerthat allows the seat to go down between the wheels to the ground and ifdesired, slightly down beyond the wheels, so that the seat will lift thewheels slightly off the ground, automatically leaving the seat and thewhole liftchair frictionally anchored to the ground due to the weight ofthe liftchair, ready for the safe transfer of a person from the groundonto the seat.

[0005] It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanismthat allows an immobilized liftchair as above, to automatically becomemobile when needed, by rotatably attaching wheelchair type wheels toeach side of the liftchair. The wheelchair wheels extend down a littlebeyond the bottom of the liftchair frame allowing the wheels to contactand rest on the floor while the seat is in it's upper position, wherebythe liftchair becomes mobile. Upon the seat being actuated to govertically down to the ground, the seat is adapted to go down betweenthe wheelchair wheels to the ground and slightly down beyond the wheels,so that the seat will lift the wheelchair wheels slightly off the groundin it's down position, leaving the seat and the liftchair automaticallyanchored to the ground by the full combined weight of the liftchair andwheels , while a person is transferring onto the seat, therebyautomatically keeping the liftchair immobile to it's fullest extentduring this transfer operation, allowing a person safely to transferfrom the ground onto the seat of the liftchair without the liftchairmoving away from the person during this operation.

[0006] It is another object of this invention to provide a liftchairthat allows an immobilized liftchair as above to automatically becomefully mobile again as soon as the seat and the person thereon havestarted on the way up to the upper position.

[0007] It is a further object of this invention to provide a liftchairas above in which the wheelchair wheels are supplied with brakes tocontrol the mobility of the liftchair, and the liftchair is suppliedwith handles, so that a nurse or the like may move the liftchair around.

[0008] It is a further object of this invention to provide a liftchair,as above, that, with the seat in the mobile upper position allows theliftchair to be moved by the person in the liftchair, by the personturning the wheels by hand, or by the person turning handrails attachedto the wheels.

[0009] It is another object of this invention to eliminate thebackbreaking need for a nurse to lift a heavy person from the ground upto a seat on a chair or on a wheelchair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In the drawings:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an armchair with a seatlift, asshown in applicants issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655 in the followingcalled a “liftchair”, with one preferred embodiment of the improvementof the present invention located thereon, comprising wheels attached tothe base of the frame of the liftchair, shown with the liftchair in it'simmobile condition with the seat in it's lowest position, resting on theground.

[0012]FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a liftchair with another embodimentof the improvement of the present invention located thereon, comprisingwheelchair type wheels rotatably attached to the sides of the frame ofthe liftchair and one or two swivel wheels attached to the rear of theliftchair, shown in it's mobile condition with it's seat in it's upperposition, out of contact with the ground and the wheels in contact withthe ground. A handbrake is located on the frame to control mobility.

[0013]FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the liftchair illustrated in FIG. 2shown in it's immobile condition with the seat in it's lowest positionin firm contact with the ground,and the frame and wheels raised slightlyoff the ground.

[0014]FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the liftchair shown in FIG. 1 init's mobile condition with the seat in it's upper position, with theseat out of contact with the ground and the wheels in contact with theground.

[0015]FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the liftchair shown in FIG. 4 withthe seat in it's upper position, out of contact with the ground and thewheels in contact with the ground.

[0016]FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the liftchair shown in FIG. 5 withthe seat in it's lowest position, resting in full contact on the ground.

[0017]FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 ofthe present invention in which the frame is made of tubing and suppliedwith handles and a battery for operating the seat.

[0018]FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show drawings from the original “Armchair withSeatlift” U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655 showing the seat drive mechanism usedin the present Patent Application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a liftchair of thetype patented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655 is shown at 100, supplied withone embodiment of the present improvement Patent Application, comprising2 fixed wheels 110, located one at each rear lower comer 114, and 2swivel wheels 110 a at each front lower comer 114 a at lower frontconnecting bar 111 of frame 112, and with seat 113 in it's lowerposition resting on ground 115.

[0020] In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 a similar liftchair of above type is shownat 130, with a second embodiment of the present invention, the wheels inthis embodiment comprising a pair of large wheelchair type wheels 131rotatably mounted on each side 112 a and 112 b of frame 112 with a handrail 132 mounted on each large wheelchair wheel, and a pair of smallerswivel wheels 133 mounted on brackets 154, one large wheel 131 and onesmaller swivel wheel 133 being located on left side 112 a and on rightside 112 b of liftchair 130. Conventional brakes 113 may be attached oneither side 112 a and 112 b of liftchair 130 to control the mobility ofliftchair 130, and handles 136 may be attached at top rear 136 a offrame 112.

[0021] In FIG. 3 the liftchair illustrated in FIG. 2 is shown with seat113 moved down below underside 138 of frame 112, of liftchair 130 to aposition 138 a, resting on ground 115, where it has lifted wheels 131and 133 slightly above ground 115, making liftchair 130 particularlyimmobile and firmly stable resting on ground 115, since combined weightsof liftchair 130 and weights of wheels 131 and 133 and handrails 132 arebearing down on seat 113 that is resting on ground 115.

[0022] In FIG. 4 liftchair 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown with seat113 in it's upper position 113 a with 2 front swivel wheels 110 a and 2rear fixed wheels 110 (not visible) resting on ground 115, enablingliftchair 100 to become mobile when desired.

[0023] In FIG. 5 a side elevation of the liftchair illustrated in FIG. 4is shown with seat 113 in it's upper position 113 a, with one pair offront wheels being swivel wheels and one pair of wheels 110 at rear ofliftchair 100 being fixed wheels.

[0024] In FIG. 6, liftchair 100 illustrated in FIG. 5 is shown with seat113 in it's lowest position 113 b, with seat 113 resting on ground 115,making liftchair 100 immobile, facillitating transfer of a person fromground 115 onto seat 113 without seat 113 moving away from thetransferring person during this transfer operation.

[0025] In FIG. 7 a liftchair 140 of the type illustrated in FIG. 2 andFIG. 3 is shown at 140, in this embodiment having a frame 141 of tubularconstruction made of wheelchair type tubing, substantially in the formof a conventional wheelchair, liftchair 140 having 2 sides 142 and 143and a back 144. A crossmember 145 is located at bottom front 146 frame141, connecting sides 142 and 143 together. Similarly cross members 147,147 a and 147 b are located at back 144 of frame 141 connecting sides142 and 143 together at the back. Identical side members 150 on eitherside 142 and 143 connect vertical front frame members 151 and verticalrear frame members 152 together and rotatably carry large wheelchairwheels 131 at 131 a on either side 142 and 143 of frame 141. Brackets154 at back 149 of frame 141 carry swivel wheels 155 and may carry abattery 162 to drive mechanism to lift seat 113 up and down as shown inU.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655 (not shown here). This seatlift mechanism drivesseat 113 subtantially vertically up and down on rollers 160, rolling onvertical rails 161 located at each side 142 and 143 of frame 141.

LIFTCHAIR NUMBERING

[0026]10 Liftchair

[0027]11 Frame

[0028]12 Frame left side

[0029]13 Frame right side

[0030]14 Upper rear cross member

[0031]15 Lower rear cross member

[0032]16 Front base cross member

[0033]17 Left vertical rail

[0034]18 Right vertical rail

[0035]19 Seat

[0036]19 a Front open space

[0037]20 Left side plate

[0038]21 Right side of backplate

[0039]22 Back plate

[0040]24 Drive motor

[0041]25 Flanged pulleys

[0042]26 Outer side of plate 21

[0043]27 Forward side of rail18

[0044]28 Rearward side of rail 18

[0045]29 Drive shaft

[0046]30 Lower rear location

[0047]32 Motor sprocket

[0048]33 Motor drive chain

[0049]34 Shaft drive sprocket

[0050]35 Lift chain sprocket

[0051]36 Lift chain

[0052]37 Chain attachment at upper end of plate 21

[0053]38 Upper flanged pulley

[0054]39 Upper end of rail 18

[0055]40 Lower flanged pulley

[0056]41 Secondary flanged pulley

[0057]42 Chain lower attachment on side plate 21

[0058]43 Control box

[0059]45 UP-DOWN switch

[0060]46 Activate switch

[0061]47 Flexible sheet

[0062]48 Upper end of sheet

[0063]49 Front edge of seat

[0064]50 Round rod

[0065]51 Space at rod

[0066]52 Lower end of sheet

[0067]100 1st. Embodiment

[0068]110 Swivel wheel

[0069]110 a Fixed wheel

[0070]111 Lower front crossbar

[0071]112 Frame

[0072]112 a Left side of frame

[0073]112 b Right side of frame

[0074]113 Seat

[0075]113 a Seat in upper position

[0076]113 b Seat in lower position

[0077]114 Rear lower comer of frame

[0078]114 a Front lower comer of frame

[0079]115 Ground

[0080]130 Liftchair Second embodiment

[0081]131 Large wheelchair wheel

[0082]131 a Large wheelchair point of attachment

[0083]132 Hand rail

[0084]133 Small wheelchair swivel wheel

[0085]136 Handle

[0086]136 a Top rear of frame

[0087]137 Brake

[0088]138 Underside of frame

[0089]138 a Lowered position of seat

[0090]140 Tubularly constructed frame embodiment

[0091]142 Left side of tubular constructed frame

[0092]143 Right side of tubularly constructed frame

[0093]144 Back of tubularly constructed frame

[0094]145 Lower front cross member

[0095]146 Bottom front of tubularly constructed frame

[0096]147 Lower back cross member

[0097]147 a Middle back cross member

[0098]147 b Upper back cross member

[0099]150 Side horizontal cross member

[0100]151 Front vertical frame member

[0101]152 Rear vertical frame member

[0102]154 Swivel wheel bracket

[0103]155 Tubular frame swivel wheel

[0104]160 Vertical rail

[0105]161 Roller

[0106]162 Battery

I claim:
 1. An improvement in an Armchair With Seatlift , as describedin issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,655, in which said Armchair With Seatliftin the following called “liftchair”, has a seat means that has an“upper” position and a “lower” position, and a frame, said liftchairbeing made automatically mobile and respectively automatically immobileand stable on the ground said liftchair is standing on, by adding wheelmeans to said liftchair, said wheel means extending slightly belowbottom of said, frame, said seat means being able to move in such amanner as to automatically lock said liftchair to said ground upon saidseat means being in said “lower” position said seat means beingactivated by electrically driven means described in above mentioned USPatent, said seat means being able to go down between said wheel meansto rest fully on said ground in said lower position, said seat meansbeing able to carry the weights of said liftchair and said wheel meansand transfer said weights to said ground in said “lower” position,automatically rendering said liftchair frictionally immobile, thereby topermit a fallen person on said ground to transfer safely from saidground onto said seat means, said liftchair automatically becoming fullymobile upon said seat means being moved upward toward said upperposition, releasing said seat means and said weights from contact withsaid ground, allowing said wheel means to be free to move over saidground.
 2. An improvement in a liftchair as claimed in claim 1, in whichsaid wheel means comprise a combination of fixed wheel means and swivelwheel means located at said bottom of said liftchair, said seat meansbeing able to go down between said combination of wheel means to saidground, said seat means being able to lift said combination of wheelmeans slightly above said ground, friction between said seat and saidground thereby rendering said liftchair immobile to facillitate safetransfer of a fallen person from said ground to said seat means, saidliftchair automatically becoming mobile upon said seat means being movedupward, automatically releasing said friction between said seat meansand said ground and at the same time allowing said combination of wheelsmeans to go down in contact with said ground.
 3. An improvement in aliftchair as claimed in claim 1, in which said liftchair has a framewith two sides and in which said wheel means comprise wheel chair typewheel means, rotatably attached to each of said two sides of said frame,making said liftchair mobile, said seat means being able, when desired,to go vertically down between said wheelchair wheel means to said groundand be in full contact with said ground, said seat being able to liftsaid wheelchair wheel means slightly off said ground to automaticallyrender said liftchair fully immobile, said liftchair automaticallybecoming mobile again upon said seat means being moved upward out ofcontact with said ground.
 4. An improvement in a liftchair as claimed inclaim 3, in which said frame is of tubular construction madesubstantially of wheelchair type tubing, substantially in the form of aconventional wheelchair, including brake means to control mobility ofsaid liftchair.
 5. An improvement in a liftchair as claimed in claim 4,in which battery means are carried on said frame to drive said liftchairmechanism and to facillitate mobility of said liftchair.